Response of Corchorus olitorius leafy vegetable to cadmium in the soil

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dc.contributor.authorPullabhotla, Viswanadha
dc.contributor.authorNtuli, Nontuthuko Rosemary
dc.contributor.authorNdlovu, Sibongokuhle
dc.coverageBasel, Switzerland
dc.coverage.conferenceissn
dc.date.accessioned2026-03-09T13:01:12Z
dc.date.available2026-03-09T13:01:12Z
dc.date.issued2020
dc.departmentNameChemistry
dc.departmentNameBotany
dc.description.abstractCorchorus olitorius, a leafy vegetable with high nutrient content, is normally collected from the wild, in areas that are prone to cadmium (Cd) toxicity. However, studies on how Cd accumulation affects vegetative and reproductive traits of leafy vegetables in South Africa are limited. Therefore, this study tested the effect of Cd accumulation on C. olitorius morphological traits. Plants were grown under various Cd concentrations and studied for variation in vegetative and reproductive traits as well as accumulation in roots and shoots. Plants exposed to 5 mg/kg Cd had longer roots with higher moisture content, heavier fresh and dried stems, as well as dried leaves, which indicated a hormetic effect in C. olitorius after exposure to low Cd concentration in the soil. Again, plants treated with 5–10 mg/kg Cd, accumulated toxic (>10 mg/kg dry weight) Cd within shoots and roots, with minor morphological alterations. Plants could survive, with some morphological defects, Cd toxicity up to 20 mg/kg in soil. Only plants exposed to 5 mg/kg could reproduce. Cd accumulation increased with an increase in the soil, with higher accumulation in shoots. The translocation factor was high (>1) in all Cd concentrations. In conclusion, C. olitorius can accumulate toxic Cd, and yet grow and reproduce either normally or better than the control. The proposed dose of Cd that induces hormesis in C. olitorius is 5 mg/kg in the soil. Therefore, C. olitorius is suitable for phytoremediation of Cd contaminated soils, but unsafe for consumption when it grows in such areas.
dc.facultyFaculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering
dc.identifier.citationNdlovu, S., Pullabhotla, R.V. and Ntuli, N.R., 2020. Response of Corchorus olitorius leafy vegetable to cadmium in the soil. Plants, 9(9), pp.1-13.
dc.identifier.issn2223-7747
dc.identifier.otherhttps://doi:10.3390/plants9091200
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10530/58930
dc.inproceedingsissn
dc.issuenumber9 / 9
dc.keynoteissn
dc.language.isoen
dc.pages1 - 13
dc.peerreviewedYes
dc.publisherMDPI
dc.subjectCadmium toxicity
dc.subjectCorchorus olitorius
dc.subjectHormesis
dc.subjectPhytoremediation
dc.subjectMorphological traits
dc.titleResponse of Corchorus olitorius leafy vegetable to cadmium in the soil
dc.title.journalPlants
dc.typeJournal Article
dspace.entity.typePublication
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relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery4409d7dd-a9c8-416e-a12a-a9d64d373541
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